Chipotle Copycat Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa
Updated Jan 20, 2026
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This Chipotle Copycat Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa is the smoky green salsa Chipotle classifies as medium heat. Made with broiled tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, and jalapeño, it’s tangy, vibrant, and easy to blend at home.
Build the full Chipotle-style bowl by pairing it with Chipotle Copycat Cilantro Lime Rice, Chipotle Copycat Black Beans, and Chipotle Copycat Guacamole. It’s also perfect for tacos, salads, or scooping with chips.
🐝 Quick Look: Chipotle Copycat Tomatillo Salsa Recipe
- ⏱ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 25 minutes (plus resting time)
- 🍽 Servings: 10 (1/4 cup servings)
- ⚡ Calories: ~23 per serving
- 🍳 Cook Method: Broiled vegetables, blended salsa
- 🧂 Main Ingredients: Tomatillos, tomatoes, jalapeño, red onion, garlic, cilantro
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Bright, tangy, mildly spicy, fresh
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy. Mostly hands-off broiling with quick blending.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes just like Chipotle’s tomatillo-green chili salsa: This copycat tomatillo salsa is bold, smoky, tangy, and perfectly balanced, just like the medium green salsa you get at Chipotle.
- Roasted ingredients with big flavor: Broiling the tomatillos, tomatoes, and garlic adds depth and smokiness, while simple fresh ingredients, pantry spices, and citrus recreate Chipotle’s signature green chili salsa at home.
- Perfect for burrito bowls: Spoon this tomatillo salsa over a homemade Chipotle-style bowl with copycat Chipotle chicken, copycat Chipotle black beans, and copycat Chipotle cilantro lime rice.
- Great for meal prep and entertaining: This salsa can be made ahead and tastes even better after the flavors have time to meld, making it ideal for parties or weekly meal prep.
- Versatile beyond bowls: Use it on tacos, drizzle it over grilled meats or veggies, or serve it as a dip with tortilla chips for a fresh, zippy bite. Try pairing with this Cheesy Bacon and Spinach Frittata for a flavorful breakfast.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with exact quantities.
- Tomatillos: Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes wrapped in a papery husk, but they have a tangy, slightly citrusy flavor. When roasted, they become sweet and smoky, adding depth and brightness to this green chili salsa. Make sure to remove the husk and wash the tomatillo before roasting.
- Jalapeño: I used 1/2 of a small pepper for this recipe and kept most of the seeds. If you don’t enjoy a lot of spice, you can use even less jalapeño and remove all of the seeds. If you want more spice, leave the seeds.
Tips and Substitutions
- Wire rack tip: Using a wire rack on your sheet pan helps the tomatillos and tomatoes roast evenly without steaming, but you can also place them directly on a foil-lined sheet pan if needed.
- Garlic: Leave the skin on while roasting to prevent it from burning. Once cool enough to handle, remove the peel before blending.
- Heat level: This salsa is considered medium heat, similar to Chipotle’s tomatillo-green chili salsa. For less spice, remove the jalapeño seeds or use less jalapeño. For more heat, leave the seeds in.
- Taste and adjust before serving: Prefer extra tang? Squeeze in more lemon or lime juice and adjust the salt to your liking.
- Chill before serving: For best flavor, refrigerate the salsa for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving for the best texture and flavor.
How to Make Chipotle Copycat Tomatillo Salsa
See the recipe card below for full instructions and exact amounts.
- Husk and rinse the tomatillos, then arrange them on a wire rack set over a sheet pan along with the tomatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves.
- Broil the vegetables until blistered and lightly charred, flipping halfway through. Let them cool slightly, then peel the garlic once it’s cool enough to handle.
- While the vegetables cool, chop the jalapeño, red onion, and fresh cilantro so everything is ready to blend.
- Blend the broiled vegetables with the remaining ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld before serving.
Chipotle Copycat Tomatillo Salsa FAQs
Chipotle’s tomatillo-green chili salsa is their medium-heat green salsa made with roasted tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, citrus, and spices. It’s tangy, smoky, and brighter than their red chili salsa, with a fresh roasted flavor.
Chipotle classifies their tomatillo-green chili salsa as medium heat. It has a noticeable kick but is not overwhelmingly spicy. The heat level can vary depending on the jalapeño used, and you can easily adjust the spice at home by removing the seeds or using less pepper.
Roasting the tomatillos, tomatoes, and garlic adds depth, smokiness, and a richer flavor that closely mimics Chipotle’s salsa. This step is key to achieving that bold, slightly charred taste instead of a raw, acidic green salsa.
A blender or food processor is strongly recommended to achieve the smooth, restaurant-style texture of Chipotle’s tomatillo salsa. While you could finely chop everything by hand for a chunkier salsa, this recipe was tested using a blender or food processor for the best results.
More Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Copycat Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa (Medium Salsa)
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Half Sheet Pan with wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 pound Tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
- 2 small Vine Tomatoes, about 8 ounces total
- 2 cloves Garlic, leave skins on for broiling
- ½ small Jalapeño
- ¼ cup Red Onion, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup Fresh Cilantro, lightly packed
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice, adjust to taste
Instructions
- Broil vegetables: Place a wire rack on a sheet pan. Arrange the tomatillos, tomatoes, and unpeeled garlic cloves on the rack. Broil for 6 minutes, flip everything, then broil for another 6 minutes until blistered and lightly charred. Let cool for at least 15 minutes, then peel the garlic.
- Blend base: Add the broiled tomatillos, tomatoes, and peeled garlic to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
- Finish salsa: Add the jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, oregano, cumin, kosher salt, lemon juice, and lime juice. Blend again until fully combined. Taste and adjust with more salt or citrus juice as needed.
- Rest and chill: Transfer the salsa to a jar or airtight container. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Heat level: This salsa is medium heat. For milder salsa, use less jalapeño or remove all seeds. For more heat, add more jalapeño or include some seeds.
- Texture: Chipotle’s salsa is smooth. Blend longer for a thinner consistency or pulse for slightly more texture.
- Broiling tip: Using a wire rack allows excess moisture to drip away and helps the tomatillos and tomatoes blister more evenly, but broiling directly on a sheet pan works as well.
- Resting time matters: The flavor improves significantly after chilling, so do not skip the resting step if you want true restaurant-style flavor.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before serving.
- Serving ideas: Perfect for burrito bowls, tacos, grilled meats, eggs, or as a dip with tortilla chips.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I think the Chipotle tomatillo salsa is underrated! I always get some on my bowl at Chipotle, and it tastes just as good at home. I hope you love it!